Ten Things You Never Knew About Damon Albarn

Britpop legends Blur made their much anticipated comeback with an intimate gig at the East Anglican Railway Museum on Saturday night. The hit-laden 28-song set kicks off a huge string summer of shows for the reformed 'Parklife' collective, which will culminate in massive headline shows at Glastonbury and Hyde Park. In celebration of their long-awaited return, DS has gathered 10 fascinating pop facts about the band's charismatic frontman Damon Albarn.

1. Damon was born on March 23, 1968 to Keith and Hazel Albarn. Keith was an Art College headteacher, BBC presenter and the manager of jazz-rock outfit Soft Machine, while Hazel was a theatre set designer.

2. Albarn's strong anti-war political beliefs stem from his relationship with his grandfather, who was imprisoned as a conscientious objector during World War II.

3. Before forming Blur and becoming a global popstar, Albarn performed with synth group Two's A Crowd, attempted a career as a mime and worked at the Beat Factory studio as a tea boy.

4. Damon had the opportunity to meet then Labour leader Tony Blair for a chinwag in 1997. Oasis's Noel Gallagher went along, but Damon declined, citing his disillusionment with Blair's political shift. "I sent him [Blair] a note to the House of Commons saying, 'I'm sorry, I won't be attending as I am no longer a New Labour supporter. I am now a Communist. Enjoy the schmooze, Comrade. Love, Damon'."

5. Reality talent shows such as The X Factor are among Damon's pet-hates. "Celebrity culture sends out all the wrong messages," he says. "It's creating a mindset that suggests you can get something for nothing and that it's easy to acquire status and fame. We need to dismantle very significant parts of our culture... I think for a start you have to get rid of things like The X Factor immediately." Best not tell Damon about Alex James's stint on Orange unsignedact!

6. At the height of Blur's fame in the '90s, Damon attempted to turn his hand to acting with a cameo on the crime thriller Face. Sadly his performance, alongside Robert Carlyle and Ray Winstone, didn't prove as successful as his pop-writing career.

7. Albarn has achieved chart and critical success with Blur, Gorillaz and The Good, The Bad And The Queen, but as a schoolboy he did prove that he wasn't always so perfect. The cheeky singer failed his 11+ exams, meaning he had to attend a comprehensive in Colchester.

8. On the plus side, Albarn's educational failure ensured that he went on to meet future Blur bandmate Graham Coxon. The singer apparently caught Coxon's attention with his confident performance in the school's production of West Side Story.

9. It wasn't just the Gallagher brothers that took a dislike to Albarn during the '90s. According to his close friends, pretty much everyone objected to his cocksure attitude. "Damon was so cocky he found it difficult to go anywhere without getting punched," said Food Records pal Tony Wadsworth.

10. As recently as February 2008, Albarn insisted that there was no chance of a Blur reunion. "I had dinner with the guys recently and it was a laugh but there’s no way they want to work with me again - they all hate me," he said. What changed, Damon!